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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. content — happy
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bulb — for light
  10. content — the amount
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. branch — a division
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wound — an injury
  24. suit — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com